Our one hope in Jesus Christ will never deceive us; however,
our many hopes for this life’s personal fulfillment may. This is our tendency
to “wish” for things to happen, not our confidence in Christ. These wishful-thinkings
can deceive us… even drive us mad if we’re not careful. The film NEBRASKA is about a
man who believes he has actually won the $1,000,000 as told by a flyer that
came into everyone’s mailbox – and travels across country to claim it. That’s a
great example of hopes that deceive, wishes that betray us or lead us astray. I
think you get the picture without my giving you a list from my own embarrassing
experiences.

We’ve already talked about my tendency to live in fear; and
if you are in that pothole with me, you understand how “fears annoy.” Sure,
they claw at you all the time causing worry and distress, but worst of all,
they hold you back from doing what you KNOW you should do – even what you
believe yourself called to do.

A recent sermon on David and Goliath made me more-totally-than-usual aware of my inability to face my fears and slay my
giants. Perhaps that sermon and this hymnline will spur me on to good works –
works that happen because I am slowly being freed of that proclivity.

Of course, the point of this hymn’s second stanza is that
when the woes, deceits and annoyance of this life overwhelm us, we can rest
assured that the Man of the cross will not abandon us, and that image of
up-stretched timber serves as a constant reminder.

Today, you are likely to encounter many crosses: displayed
on walls, hung around necks, atop church steeples, etc. Let each one remind you
that even if you are convinced that you are drowning in the cares of this life,
you are “no, never alone” – your REAL hope is still here.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

In the midst of turmoil and unrest – worldwide and within –
I can truly be un-worried because unlike Leonardo DiCaprio, God IS the King of
the World!

I am not one of those who believes that God created the
world, then walked away to let it develop on its own. He did not invent the
universe and unconcerned, step away from the control panel. As long as I am
convinced that he is Omnipotent, I can rest me in that thought… and that on his
timetable things will realign, and all will be well.

I’ve admitted already that I am a worrier, so this hymnline
reminds me that I need not be. That doesn’t mean that I have conquered my
worrying spirit, but in the overall big picture, I am at peace.

We’re always told to “just turn it over to God”; sometimes I
think we need to turn it over to God’s timing. If the world… the
universe… is his, and – as we’re told later in the hymn - “God is the Ruler yet,”
we can face most any dilemma if we’re willing to wait.

Friday, November 13, 2015

This simple hymnline lifted from an old familiar gospel song
is a pretty good description of what it means to be compassionate.

I grew up in a church where we sang this one briskly like a John Philip Sousa march. Until I used David
Schwoebel’s setting of it near the end of my full-time music ministry, I had never
paid much attention to the text. That is one of our ‘sins against the hymnal’:
we just don’t take note of the words.

Fanny Crosby definitely had a way with words, and hidden
deep within many of her gospel-songs we find these kernels of truth that help
us understand certain of aspects of our faith put into words that we can
understand more clearly if we take the time to zero-in on the separate phrases –
like this one.

Weeping over those whose lives have gone wrong, who have
stumbled and fallen, whose blumbers have sent them down a negative pathway –
that’s how the Spirit of Christ within us reacts; we feel compassion on those
struggling ones.

But for compassion to be effective, we must move beyond the
feelings to action. We have to stop what we’re doing and give them a hand; we
have to lift up those over whom we weep.

If you need a story to help you understand this concept,
read Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Lots of people saw the
down-and-out ditched man, saying to themselves, “Bless his heart.” But the man
from Samaria had compassion on him and did something about it.

May this hymnline prompt us to practice compassion – not as
a feeling, but as a natural active response.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

I was never a Boy Scout. There are reasons for that – most of
which come back to my mother not wanting me to go to the Methodist church one
night a week! :)
By the time she got over that phobia, I had graduated from college and was no
longer eligible for scouting!

But I DO know about merit badges: they are given to those
who deserve them for their hard work and ability… even talent. Some are given in
spite of lack of ability in a discipline because they overcome that deficiency
to achieve what may have seemed like impossible goals.

This hymnline tells us that the mighty, certain love of God –
Agape – deserves our best song. Our never-deficient Savior warrants all our
songs… but especially our best ones.

As a worship-planner/preparer for many years, song-selection
was a mammoth task for me because I grew up singing this hymnline… and others
akin to it: “Give of your best to the Master” comes to mind. I learned early on
that it is not our best use of time in worship to put into the mouths of our singers
songs that are mediocre; I was (and am) convinced that God’s merit (his
intrinsic value) merits only the best texts and melodies aimed in his direction
in corporate expressions of praise, faith and testimony.

How many Christian songs do you think exist out there
through history up until now? WAY more than any of us can comprehend. Even if
we consider only the ones which have been published, we are overwhelmed with
number. And even more complex, how does any human determine what is the best of
that approaching-infinity total? At least we can discard a bunch that don’t
seem to stand the tests of music and text… those which have not stood up well
over time. It’s probably more complicated to select the best from the NEW crop
of songs, hymns and anthems!

Before this turns into a philosophy of church music essay,
let me just say that this much I know: God deserves our best songs…
though determining those may be up for grabs.

If our Lord were a Boy Scout, he’d have one of those green
shoulder-to-belt sashes on which to place his merit badges. That would have to
be one-heck of a big sash to contain the whole of his merit badges… and it
would have to be constantly growing to make room for more.

Every time we sing one of our best songs on his behalf, it is
as if we add another badge, saying “You, O Lord, deserve this song.” “You are
worthy to receive this song.”

This love so mighty and so true has lifted me; now it’s my
turn to return the favor by lifting him up in song… the best songs I can find
or recall.

Hymnlines - Hemlines: Get it?! :)

About Me

A native of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, went to high school with Dolly Parton... and am still friends with her sister Stella who was "most talented" with me in our graduating class of 1967! Was a Southern Baptist for most of my life,am currently affiliated with Cooperative Baptists. Have worked in Baptist and Presbyterian churches - basically consider myself a Baptiterian!

Love words (texts). Am a published hymn-writer, anthem-text writer and composer. Into live theater, museums and antique stores. Enjoy good movies and PBS dramas.

Married to Carlita - Two bonus sons: Dustin,and Clint and his wife Sherry with our two grandsons Kyle and Carson who just happen to live close by!